red herring

Noun (3)

1. any diversion intended to distract attention from the main issueType of diversion, deviation
2. a dried and smoked herring having a reddish colorSynonyms: smoked herringType of herring
3. a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus“because some portions of the cover page are printed in red ink a preliminary prospectus is sometimes called a red herring”Synonyms: preliminary prospectusType of course catalog, course catalogue